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Excellence Labs

An exclusive community where small and medium-sized business owners can share experiences and get inspired

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You will be joining an exclusive community of ambitious SME entrepreneurs, one where lifelong learning is central. You will receive practical, concrete insights that will help you grow your business and take it to a more professional level. The Excellence Lab is a confidential, informal forum for entrepreneurs to share their personal and professional experiences. Each session is led and moderated by experts, such as Vlerick professors and experienced entrepreneurs.

The Excellence Lab is intended for entrepreneurs who have taken part in one of Vlerick's long-term programmes. We put each peer group together with the utmost care to ensure a powerful learning experience for all members. This programme takes 2 years to complete.

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Detailed programme

Taking your company to that next level of professionalisation and growth is not always a bed of roses. It’s a work in progress, and that's where the Excellence Lab comes in! You will gain appropriate insights that will further support both your personal and professional development.

This programme is made up of 7 modules, spread over 2 years:

In these seven modules, we cover the latest management theories, models and tools to help you further professionalise and grow your business. Through new methodologies, case studies and discussions with other participants, you will learn how to apply these models within your own business.

Module 1: Purpose & sustainability: how to get started

  • You will learn how to better integrate social, environmental and corporate governance elements into your overall mission
  • You will get to understand what value you can offer to different stakeholders and what the world would be missing if you were not around
  • Through material analysis, you will be able to identify and prioritise the issues that are most important to your organisation

Module 2: Strategy implementation: getting everyone moving in the same direction

  • We will take a look at where you are now and where it is you want to go – and most importantly, how you want to get there
  • You will consider how you can bring about effective and lasting change
  • You will translate your strategy into specific milestones, actions and objectives across the company (people, processes and resources)

Module 3: Change Management: what to do about resistance

  • You will uncover the rational and emotional sides that come with a project of change
  • You will explore the actions needed to trigger change within your organisation
  • You will learn what role you can take to spearhead major change within your organisation
  • You will figure out how to get every stakeholder on board
  • You will discover how to anticipate during processes of change

Module 4: Growth financing options: all options

  • You will get an overview of all financing options, with or without the need for a bank loan

Module 5: Boardroom sessions*

  • Together with our Entrepreneurs in Residence, you will take part in a dedicated boardroom session
  • These sessions cover topics such as mergers and acquisitions, digital marketing, CRM, sustainability and finance. Simply choose the topic that is most relevant to you.
  • During the sounding board sessions, you will receive detailed and honest feedback on your specific problem areas

*This module is part of V-Entrepreneurs, a wider entrepreneurial ecosystem organised by Vlerick.

Module 6: Lonely at the top: the person behind the entrepreneur

  • Discover your own authentic leadership style
  • You will learn to become mindful of your own needs, resilience, flexibility and the energy you need to run your business
  • You will learn to stand tall in the face of adversity, keeping your mental resilience and emotions in check
  • You will reflect on your leadership qualities and how you lead your employees and your company
  • Through leading by example, you will motivate your team to perform even better

Module 7: Efficiency gains: using the right processes, systems and data (reporting)

  • What core processes, systems and data sets do you need to professionalise your business?
  • You will map out your company's value stream
  • You will learn how to measure operational performance, and how to link operational and financial KPIs
  • You will learn how to track and adjust how your strategy is being executed by using dashboards

From theory into practice!

Throughout each module, an owner-entrepreneur will tell you their story, linking it to the theme of that module. Afterwards, you will get the chance to participate in an interactive Q&A session. Then, you discuss together what challenges there are around implementation, with plenty of room for valuable feedback.

At the end of the programme, you will be able to apply Vlerick's 360° growth scan. This will allow you to continue tracking your progress yourself, enabling you to clearly see where you can improve.

Why this programme

  • You will be part of a carefully curated group, as well as a powerful peer-to-peer learning community, together with other small and medium-sized business owner-managers looking to take their business to the next level in terms of professionalisation and growth. You will gain invaluable insights that will boost your personal and professional development, while also building on any insights gained during previous long-term Vlerick programmes.
  • You will get to listen to some of the sharpest minds and participate in open discussions, all in a safe and confidential atmosphere. This is the best way to develop your own insights.

Who should attend

  • This programme is intended for alumni of the SME Excellence, SME Challenge, Challenge Bootcamp, MBA or master’s programmes who own a company with at least 10 FTEs and wish to further professionalise their business and be inspired.

Get in touch!

Fanny Verhauwaert

Fanny Verhauwaert

Programme Manager

fanny.verhauwaert@vlerick.com
+32 475 98 03 85